2005 Ram Mandir attack
| Ayodhya dispute |
|---|
| Organizations |
On 5 July 2005, six Lashkar-e-Taiba's terrorists[1] attacked the makeshift Ram temple at the site of the destroyed Babri Mosque in Ayodhya, India. The site is claimed by both Hindus and Muslims.[2][3] Five were shot dead in the ensuing gunfight with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), while one blew-himself up in an explosive-laden Jeep during a grenade attack that the other five launched to breach the cordoned wall.[1] The attack killed two area residents. The CRPF suffered seven casualties,[4] two of whom were seriously injured with multiple gunshot wounds.[5]
Attack
Following the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, a makeshift temple had been constructed in the city of Ayodhya. According to Hinduism the site was the birthplace of Hindu deity King Rama. The site is therefore claimed by both Hindus and Muslims.[2][3] On 5 July 2005, the heavily guarded complex was attacked by six armed terrorists. The attack was foiled by security officials and the attackers were killed.[4]
The terrorists were from the Islamist terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba, and were believed to have entered India through Nepal. They posed as pilgrims on their way to Ayodhya, and boarded a Tata Sumo at Akbarpur, near the Kichaucha village in Ayodhya District. Then, in nearby Faizabad, they abandoned the Sumo and hired a jeep driven by a driver, Rehan Alam Ansari. According to a statement by the driver, the terrorists visited the Ram (Temple) at Ayodhya where they prayed, possibly to reinforce the impression that they were indeed pilgrims. The terrorists then drove the jeep into the site, and forced the driver out of the vehicle, banging the jeep against the security cordon. One attacker killed himself in the jeep by detonating it, damaging the surrounding structures at the site.[6] At 9:05 am, they hurled M67 grenades from 50 metres away to breach the cordon fence. Ramesh Pandey, a pilgrim guide who happened to be near the site at this moment, died on the spot as a result of the grenade blast. Firing indiscriminately, the five remaining terrorists entered the Mata Sita Rasoi. Returning the gunfire, a platoon of 35 CRPF soldiers killed all five of the terrorists in a gunfight that lasted for over an hour. Three CRPF soldiers also received serious injuries and, as of July 2008, two remain comatose. All the terrorists died within 70 metres of the site.[7] Two local residents were also killed in the attack.[8] Strict precautions were taken all over India to protect minorities wherever retaliatory killings were anticipated.[7]
Investigation
The assailants were suspected to belong to the Islamic terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba. The investigating team tracked the phone calls made from the cell phones carried by the terrorists using the IMEI numbers. The Police recovered a single RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launcher, five Type 56 assault rifles, five M1911 pistols, several M67 grenades and some jihadi documents.[9] Rehan Alam, the jeep driver, was detained by the police for further investigations.[10]
On 28 July 2005, four Muslim men from Jammu and Kashmir – Akbar Hussain, Lal Mohammad, Mohmmad Naseer and Mohmmad Rafeeq – were arrested in connection with the attack. On 3 August 2005, another four Muslim men – Irfan, Ashiq Iqbal alias Farooque, Shakeel Ahmed and Mohammad Naseem – were arrested and eventually sentenced to life term imprisonment and fined Rs 40,000 each; a fifth man, Mohammad Aziz, was acquitted.[9] One of the victims' sons, dissatisfied with the acquittal, appealed to the government to intervene.[11]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Front Page : Armed storm Ayodhya complex". The Hindu. 2005-07-06. Archived from the original on 2005-07-08. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 "5 Attackers Slain at Indian Holy Site Claimed by Hindus, Muslims". Los Angeles Times. 2005-07-05. Retrieved 2025-10-19.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Police kill assailants at India holy site". Al Jazeera. 2005-07-05. Retrieved 2025-10-19.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Srivastava, Shivendra (2019-06-17). "Ayodhya terror attack verdict likely on Tuesday". India Today. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ↑ Kumar, Kamal (2024-01-02). "Ayodhya: UP STF To Take Charge Of Ram Mandir's Security As CRPF's Stint To Protect Ram Janmabhoomi Nears An End". The Daily Jagran. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ↑ "6 attackers die in raid on Hindu shrine in India". NBC News. 2005-07-05. Retrieved 2025-10-12.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Terrorists attack Ayodhya temple, 6 killed". Business Standard. 2005-07-06. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ↑ "2005 Ayodhya terror attack: four get life term, one acquitted". The Hindu. 18 June 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 India Today Web (2019-06-18). "2005 Ayodhya terror attack: 4 accused sentenced for life". India Today. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ↑ "Main News". The Tribune, Chandigarh, India. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ↑ Sahu, Manish (2019-06-19). "2005 Ayodhya terror attack case: Not happy, want govt to intervene, says victim's family". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2025-10-12.
This article "2005 Ram Mandir attack" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:2005 Ram Mandir attack. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
